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Teeth (2007/I)

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48 out of 78 people found the following comment useful :-
A True Horror/Comedy, 17 January 2008

Author: orpheus743

If all you know about 'Teeth' is the premise, you probably think it's a typical B horror film. In fact, this movie is very good and very fun. I don't mean so-bad-it's-good, I mean good.

The key is that the movie is restrained. You get the shots that will make you cringe--the filmmakers don't skimp on the juicy stuff--but nothing outrageous. More importantly, 'Teeth' is well acted and written. In some indie films, the dialogue is so bad it's distracting. Not this one. In fact, movies in this genre can go overboard at almost any point--a rogue scientist arriving to explain everything, buckets of blood, or just a scene that goes too far and makes you laugh instead of scream. 'Teeth' deftly avoids the pitfalls. It is scary, funny, and never too much, at least not for me.

This movie isn't an Oscar-worthy drama, but it could be a cult classic. I, for one, left the theatre with my money's worth and then some.

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57 out of 99 people found the following comment useful :-
Disappointing even for low expectations, 22 January 2008

Author: b1lskirnir from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The general formula for getting a new movie recognized in America nowadays tends to be by means of a clever gimmick or craft in advertising and hype (Cloverfield, The 300, etc.). Teeth is an interesting addition to this formula, as it is a B-horror movie that is generally marketed to an indie comedy audience. Iif you're interested in seeing it it's almost guaranteed you know what it's about before walking into the theater. Unfortunately for Teeth, it manages to give you just that and absolutely nothing else for 90 minutes, and I mean that in the worst possible way:

The movie is about a teenage girl who discovers teeth in her vagina.

That's it. You can basically write the rest of the story yourself.

Yep, there's pretty much nothing else to the movie beyond that. The film milks its premise of the audience knowing what's going to come for nearly 45 minutes before anything involving the plot actually happens. By the time she discovers her problem, half of the movie is gone and any opportunity for interesting character development, sexual commentary, dramatic tension, or remote intelligence is thrown out the window.

Teeth milks as many plot devices for cheap comedic payoff as possible as well: the young, innocent Christian girl who takes a vow of chastity, the boyfriend who wants her to break that vow, the difficulties between being either a prude or a slut in high school... without ruining whatever story there actually remains to ruin. There's a subplot involving her negligent and completely cookie-cutter character of a brother being a jerk to her parents as well, but it fails to develop that at all for the sake of throwing in more jokes about biting and vaginas than Mr. Freeze has jokes about ice in Batman & Robin.

By the time her character is thrown any interesting development and drama in the way of this bizarre plot, it's already turned into a generic rape/revenge B-movie and the credits have come up the screen. I've heard some women say they felt "liberated" by this movie and to those women I would advise them to seek therapy as soon as possible. To say that is no better than saying as a sexually frustrated male I felt "liberated" watching pornography, which of course cannot be said due to political correctness.

It could've been an interesting study of womanhood, of growing up, of men's sexual fears and the relationship between loving someone and having sex with them... but it's not. It's a sleazy, stupid exploitation flick that doesn't spare any opportunity to show its violent acts in gory detail. It also proves, sadly, that indie movies suffer from the same marketing gimmicks and worn-out clichés as mainstream movies. If you want something better but along similar thematic lines, I would recommend Hard Candy, Lady Vengeance, and of course the classic Virgin Spring. But please, avoid this at all costs unless you just enjoy dumb, sick thrills.

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23 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
Teeth is disturbing and succeeds on so many levels, 4 May 2008

Author: Daniel Freyer from Austria

This movie is like a crossover between a feminine horror story and a black comedy, better yet satire. Teeth succeeds because it doesn't take itself too seriously and it gives as well fleshed out characters. The lead actress is an amazing find. She knows exactly what to do with her character and how far she can go with it. She is believable from start to finish. I wouldn't recommend this movie to people with high morals, because you do get to see a lot of 'genital gore' in the movie. Just look at the plot keywords, if one of the things bothers you this movie isn't for you. All in all this movie is for people who like to see something different for achange, not that manufactured sh!i from Hollywood these days. If you don't take this film too seriously and you have a good sense of humor, this movie is a must see for you. I give it 7/10 because the ending is not that good and IMO it could have been longer.

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27 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :-
Not something to get your teeth stuck into, 16 August 2007

Author: Chris Docker (eyeforfilm) from Scotland, United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Horror films have long used myth and psychological demons as a basis for gruesomeness. Teeth takes an underused legend (vagina dentata) and eats into the late night chick-flick gore-fest market with gusto and relish.

Hold on - late night chick-flick gore-fest market? Isn't it just guys who go to see slasher stuff? Instead of vampires deflowering virgins we have a virgin de-penis-ing sleaze bags. Not so much I Spit on Your Grave as bible-thumping-bimbo-eats-willies.

In one of the South Park episodes ('Red Hot Catholic Love'), that asks 'why Catholics must molest children,' we had a sect of Catholicism made of dangerous aliens. Their females have vaginas lined with razor-sharp teeth. South Park, of course, is unashamedly anti-everything polemic. Whereas Teeth is just entertainment. The lasting impact of such materials however, can be influenced by how well writer-producers have done their homework on matters psychological.

Blonde high-schooler Dawn is a prominent representative of a chastity-ring -style movement. She discovers she has unusual anatomical 'adaptations' down there'. (She also has that expression that says something is permanently lodged up her butt.) But after she has alternately repelled and then encouraged a sweetheart who then rapes her, she is not unreasonably convinced that the bloody stump he is left with - and the dismembered member subsequently eaten by crabs - is the result of her deformity. Notwithstanding this, she manages to attract a series of pervs who get their fingers or manhoods lopped off.

Teeth has the potential to deliver some biting social comment on the 'chastity' movement which has infected some American schools. In the classroom, Dawn's biology textbooks have stickers obscuring diagrams of the vulva - for 'obvious' reasons.

At one point there, is a chance Dawn could become the crusader with a moral calling (rather than faith obedience). Much like the Troma legend, Toxic Avenger, who hunts down the city's bad guys. In a scene where a serial seducer drugs Dawn and then offers candlelight and romance to conclude the deed, is mistakenly seen as a 'good guy' by our heroine. She amazingly has successful sex with him, and willingly. She thinks he has fulfilled her dreams. But, when he boasts to mates on the phone in flagrante delicto, she changes her mind and chops it off. If the punishment was a little heavy for just being a loudmouth, there is a sense of justice as we know his intentions had nothing to do with consent. But although Dawn feels remorse over a similarly lecherous gynaecologist, she has no compunction about deliberate entrapment of males that she credits with evil intentions. And she does so as the heroine of our film.

The vagina dentata myth is, as the film rightly points out, based on men's fear of sex. Compounding it with the modern craze by some youngsters for 'chastity' blurs the underlying psychology, even as a crowd-pleaser. The chaste woman in the sense upheld by Dawn's religious beliefs is the opposite of all that is pure about the symbols of womanhood. A shutting up, a mental 'castration,' to be reversed only by marriage. A cult that possibly even exacerbates sexual crime resulting from frustration, while denying a woman her own sexuality (A more extreme form is the barbaric practice in some countries of 'female circumcision.') The clarion call to support the heroine (who is depicted sympathetically) rests on an idea of female dominance as repugnant as the male domination of old patriarchal societies. It has developed, particularly in the USA, where American wives may even speak of husbands as men in the past spoke of a 'good, hard-working drudge'.

The end credits quip that, "No man was harmed in the making of this film." But this reviewer at least feels that women who are psychologically conditioned to think in terms of 'chastity' or 'castrating men' are indeed harming themselves.

To its credit, Teeth handles the difficult acting challenges with considerable aplomb. Jess Weixler's portrayal of Dawn is well-nuanced and brings much needed humour, ambivalence and self-doubt to her character. That the film succeeds at all is remarkable, and this first feature by writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein bodes well for his capabilities in handling difficult subject matter in the future commercial market. He succeeds in breathing life into a well-worn genre, but at the expense of ditching his moral compass. While the film is entertaining, it fails to achieve its full potential, or the cult status of indie classics like Liquid Sky (which was written by women rather than a man). But it certainly beats yet another slasher re-run with female protagonists enthusiastically chopping carrots.

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32 out of 54 people found the following comment useful :-
Memorable, to say the least, 29 January 2008

Author: slayersrevenge33 from United States

The premise alone can speak for the originality of the movie. Most audiences will be rushing to this film out of sheer curiosity, I know I did. While this movie is graphic, the conflicting tones of horror and comedy give it a playfulness and a freshness that any true movie-lover could appreciate. Now, its not by any means the best movie ever or the funniest or most horrific but it shines its light. The story and characters are all cheesy/campy but thats what gives this movie its charm. Its almost like whats going on is so absurd and awful and awkward you have no choice but to laugh! I don't recommend this film to the faint of heart but if you are in the mood for something new and will keep you talking for weeks, then I say this is the film for you. If anything, just to say you saw it is quite enough for most people. Women, you'll appreciate it more than you think. Men, you'll be more careful out there in the real world.

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60 out of 110 people found the following comment useful :-
Hilarious and Satisfying!, 3 February 2007

Author: scottemis from United States

Not sure what all the kvetching on this board is about….TEETH is gore-comedy at its best and it turns the misogynistic "vagina dentata" myth on its head. After its hilarious first act parodying evangelical sexual repression, scene after scene delivers with jaw-dropping "can't-believe-that's-happening" hysterical intensity.

Yes, it's campy, but it pays careful respect to its lead character. Jess Weixler shines as the young abstinence advocate who discovers her rare gift, receiving the much-deserved Jury Prize for Acting from the Sundance Film Festival. If you appreciate cult, camp, or horror with a feminist edge, this is for you!

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13 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Leave it to Beaver!, 20 May 2008

Author: Jonny_Numb from Hellfudge, Pennsylvania

The trend of imbuing horror films with a quirky sense of irony cribbed from the hell that is adolescence (think "Ghost World" with gore) may have finally run out of steam with "Teeth," a moderately impressive (though unspectacular) yet overly precious and self-aware stab at subverting the genre's gender roles. Writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein's concept (a puritanical virgin who grows up next to a nuclear power plant discovers a mean set of incisors below the waist when her sexuality blooms) is intriguing, and some of the film's best moments possess a surreal quality that almost transforms the material into a metaphorical extension of Dawn's (Jess Weixler) awkward adjustment to womanhood. While much has been written about gender roles in the horror genre, "Teeth" cleverly manages to have its cake and eat it, too: Dawn is treated as a haplessly naive girl by every male she encounters; the males are predatory, would-be rapists. In films like "I Spit On Your Grave" and "Ms. 45," the female victims recover to enact revenge in an extreme manner--"Teeth" playfully subverts Freud's notion of "penis envy" by transforming male genitalia into a literal kiss of death; Dawn's encounters (while tinged with a sometimes groan-inducing, "Clueless"-styled humor) eventually contribute to her growth and maturity as a woman, to the point where she finally becomes master of her domain. While not great, "Teeth" is a worthwhile little sleeper with some food for thought.

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Something to sink your TEETH into..., 27 May 2008

Author: Clayton Davis (thetrilogy911@hotmail.com) from New Jersey

A new evolution of horror as arrived with the new film, Teeth. Teeth tells the story of Dawn O'Keefe (Jess Weixler), a young abstinent teenager who comes to find out that her "family jewels" are much more special than everyone else's; her vagina has teeth. When she comes to realize her "differences" she starts to battle with her sexuality and wanting to act on her impulses.

This has definitely revolutionized the horror genre along with some awkward comedy, Teeth holds interest for the viewer throughout. From a woman's perspective I'm not sure how the film would be received, but from a man, to put it plainly simple, it scares the ever living crap out of me. The film holds nothing to the imagination as it shows the most graphic images I've seen on film in quite sometime.

Other than graphic imagery, the storyline isn't as strong as images. There's no flow to the story and pretty random at times as it conquers the steps of gross and unfortunate adolescence. The performances are enough to suffice but its John Hensley who plays Brad, Dawn's perverted step-brother who wants to take his sister's virginity that stands out. Young Dawn takes on some new attitudes throughout the film and Weixler attends to her with grace and ease.

Not sure if this is a must-see for people, but it compares to The Matrix scenario when Morpheus presents the red pill and the blue pill. You can take the blue pill, the dream ends and you can believe whatever you want to believe; you take the red pill, you get to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

**½ /****

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18 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
"Teeth" - Castration anxiety, 6 May 2008

Author: dee.reid from United States

"Teeth" is a coming-of-age tale done in the spirit of "Carrie" (1976) in that it carefully examines a young girl becoming a woman. But "Carrie" had a twist: the protagonist Carrie White developed psychic powers, which she then used against the classmates who persistently tormented her. "Teeth" has a similar premise, one that's likely to instill castration anxiety in any oversexed male who watches it.

"Teeth" introduces the concept - for a wider audience - of "vagina dentata" (when translated from Latin, literally means "toothed vagina," as in females having a nifty set of teeth between their legs), the same vagina dentata of ancient mythology given to women as a physical advantage during sexual intercourse and is meant to ward off men from having sex with strange women and instill harsh feelings of castration anxiety in those oversexed men. Writer/director Mitchell Lichtenstein takes his cues from "Carrie" and that ancient mythology to form the basis of his directorial debut; many may not know that "Teeth" is itself a remake of a small Japanese film called "Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy" (2004) (I actually had to laugh at that title).

As a 22-year-old male virgin, some of what I saw in this picture is quite shocking and had me squirming in my seat on more than one occasion, trying to hold on to my manhood (so to speak) and enjoy a well-crafted coming-of-age horror-comedy. But the movie isn't about male-bashing, nor is it really about female empowerment. If you look hard enough, the movie is really about sexual violence, that is violence perpetrated by men upon women and vice versa. In this cinematic battle of the sexes, no one is really favored to win, although it's obvious that most men, young and old, will think twice about having sex with the film's female protagonist by the time the credits begin to roll.

The young heroine of "Teeth" is Dawn (Sundance Award-winner for Best Actress and - who some have called - Meryl Streep-in-training, Jess Weixler), a "pretty but prim" high school virgin who is hanging on to her sexual purity for dear life. In a tightly-knit Midwestern community that has ominous smoke stacks from the local chemical plant looming in the background, Dawn is the shining Christian example of abstinence at her school, where young men and women alike face all sorts of pressures to explore each others' bodies and let go of their virginity. In sex education courses, textbooks are featured that have taped-over diagrams of female genitalia but not male genitalia (a sexist double-standard?).

Things aren't much better at home. The film opens with a rather disturbing childhood incident between Dawn and her step-brother Brad that renders him without the tip of one of his fingers. Now an adult, the psychotic and heavily tattooed Brad (John Hensley) spends his days doing his girlfriend in his bedroom while harboring incestuous feelings toward Dawn.

Dawn only feels the sexual urges to let go of chastity getting stronger when she begins dating the like-minded Tobey (Hale Appleman), who eventually confesses to her that he's not a virgin; she isn't put off by the news, however. One thing leads to another and the two wind up in the sack, but when she rejects him, he forces himself upon her and - chomp! - no more Mr. Willy-Willy for Tobey. It is at this point that any males in the audience are likely to start squirming in their seats when they realize that Dawn has been gifted - or cursed? - with the Toothed Vagina of ancient mythology, and she then begins to use this new physical ability to her advantage against the horny young men who try to get in her pants without her express permission.

"Teeth" is not a particularly well-written first feature, since it can't decide what it wants to be - a horror film, a comedy, or a mix of both - and this is the film's only really big weakness. So, we have to take it for what it is: a horror-comedy. Jess Weixler is phenomenal; I'm not sure if she's really a young Meryl Streep-in-training, but she is a young actress to keep an eye out for and her Sundance award for Best Actress was well-deserved. Like Carrie, you sympathize with the heroine, even as she comes to terms with her new physical ability and blossoming sexuality, and uses them both against her tormentors. I've already pointed out the parallels to Carrie White, but it is pretty clear Lichtenstein is familiar with that story to at least draw some distinctions from that and "Killer Pussy."

The film never really explores the extent of Dawn's Toothed Vagina or how she even achieved it, although there are a few clues here and there. It can be inferred that the vagina dentata are perhaps the next stage in the evolution of the female body (as explained in biology class). Or, are they simply a mutation caused by exposure to harmful chemicals put in the air by the local chemical plant? It's never really explained, and that's a good thing. Lastly, "Teeth" also has a lot of exposed flesh - male and female - and some pretty gruesome special effects sequences (though, weirdly enough, we never actually see Dawn's gift) that'll have any oversexed guys out there thinking twice about asking that pretty but strange new girl out for a date.

10/10

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A good idea... that lacks bite!, 15 June 2008

Author: Luke Bone from United Kingdom

Castration in cinema is a rarity and normally not a topic that draws audiences, but Director Mitchell Lichstenstein's Teeth is very different to the previous genre offerings that have tackled castration as both an anxiety and fear. The film begins with two step siblings playing "you show me yours I'll show you mine" in a paddling pool, only for Brad (John Hensley) to mysteriously sever his finger. The truth of the matter is Dawn (Jess Weixler) has a mutated condition, referred to in mythology as Vagina Dentata, thus explaining Brad's bleeding finger. The film immediately cuts to twelve years later and Dawn is now the prominent figure of a chastity group, thus conveniently explaining why she would still be unaware of her condition.

As the film progresses Dawn becomes curious of her body and is forced to confront her mutation during a rape. She inadvertently castrates her attacker and upon realising what she has done is equally as horrified. The man, bleeding profusely, flees the scene leaving her distraught. The scene, and several of the ones to come, are horrific and if watching with others you will notice that the males in the audience will be the ones wincing and cross-legged. Teeth is a film that reverses the predisposed stereotype of a female victim meeting her doom via the means of a phallic shaped object, usually a knife. Penetration, it seems, is a favoured form of execution in many horror films but here it is dismemberment by the means of castration. Having said this, it should be noted that Dawn is not a character that revels in her "ability" she is horrified upon learning her condition and seeks to discover more. She doesn't wield her power, and neither is she bent on revenge – unlike the films Carrie, I Spit on Your Grave or Baise Moi. In Teeth is a female character that has yet to determine what's best for her, only the final reels of her dealing with her step brother hints at what she has become or what she will be become - it could also be alluding to a sequel. Teeth struggles to establish itself, yes we know it's a horror, but it feels more tender and heartfelt than perhaps it should. Audiences are likely to feel compassion for Dawn and empathise with her condition, more than perhaps the makers were intending. In doing so the film amounts to tender portrayal of young girls' journey in dealing with sexual awareness.

Ultimately Teeth approaches male castration in probably the most primitive of fashions. It retells the perpetuated myth of the fear of the unknown to men, the vagina, and the mysteries that can lurk in its depths. It is a myth that has been told and re-told for generations and through civilisations, examples of it can be found in Greek mythology and artifacts that date back thousands of years. Feminists believe that its very existence is verification for an innate fear of women. For many psychoanalysts male castration anxiety is a favoured topic of exploration and investigation, some even cite it as being at the very foundations of all horror. Because the film tackles such a subject, and in this manner, it has raised some eyebrows as some critics believe the film to be derogative of men. This is due to it depicting them either craving sex, being violent, weak or as focal points of humiliation. Admittedly there are no strong male characters in this film, but give me a pen and paper and I'll a write a very long list of all the films in which there are no strong female characters, most of which will be horrors. The fact that the male is the victim in Teeth merely facilitates its story, it being about a toothed vagina.

Many of the film-making aspects of the film are, if anything, competent. Directorially though, the film is enjoyable. The camera doesn't shy away from the severed members as they fall to floor and nor does it restrain from showing the blood. One scene that illustrates this and through doing so sticks in my mind is the young man that, after being castrated during sex, ejaculates blood from his messy stump. Any mediocre horror will have a scene that plays on in the audiences mind after the end credits and for Teeth, it is that one.

Despite the fact I welcome Teeth to a genre littered with misogynistic films and weak female characters, I can't help but feel that it could have been better. For me Teeth fails living up to the promise of its premise, it is not the intelligent horror that some may have hoped for as it neglects to investigate or explore the myths. Instead it opts for a modern rendition tainted with teenage angst. Overall the film meanders along at slow pace, at 90 minutes in the length the first castration occurs almost 40mins in, and there are only 3 in total. I like the fact that the film is reactionary to the recent spate of torture porn films, but it is not as shocking and for some probably not as scary. Dawn is an interesting character and the manner in which her journey of discovery is told is also interesting, but that's it. Teeth is just a fun horror not to be taken too seriously, which is a shame because in doing so (pardon the pun) it lacks any real bite.

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